Installing Self adhesive vinyl and other plastic tiles
Floor preparation - Planning - Setting out - Laying the vinyl tiles - After care
Self-adhesive flooring vinyl tiles can be easily laid by the average householder to give a professional and attractive finish to the floor. While these tiles can be laid in any area, they are generally restricted to kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and other areas where a wipe clean floor surface is desired.
Floor preparation
As with most DIY jobs, the final appearance of vinyl tile floor covering will only be as good as the sub-floor on which it is laid. It is important to carefully prepare the sub-floor before any tiles are laid.
Strip off any old, damaged or uneven floor coverings; make sure that the surface is firm, clean, flat and smooth. If you intend laying over existing tiles, ensure that these are firmly stuck down - if in doubt, remove them.
The sub-floor must be completely free of paint, oil, grease, bituminous compounds and any solvent based materials.
Concrete floors must incorporate a damp-proof membrane. New floors must be allowed to dry out completely - the recommended time, with adequate ventilation, is 1 day per mm (1 inch per month) up to 50mm thickness. More time will need to be allowed for greater thicknesses. Cold, wet weather will slow down the drying process.
Use a suitable self-levelling compound to repair depressions and uneven concrete surfaces.
Sand and cement screed should be sealed with a suitable primer.
Timber floorboards - think carefully before laying tiles on timber floorboards; electric and plumbing services often run under floorboards and it will be nigh impossible to reuse the tiles and sub-floor if they have to be lifted. A more satisfactory flooring may be roll material which normally only needs to be stuck down along some edges.
Remove protruding nails and secure loose boards. Do not lay direct onto new boards as these may shrink. Sub surface irregularities show through so level warped or worn boards by sanding, planing or, preferably by overlaying with 6 mm exterior grade plywood or hardboard (smooth side up). Secure the sheets at 150mm (6 inch) centres by screws or nails - use annular ring nails to reduce the possibility of the nails working up into the tiles. When using hardboard, the sheets should be dampened 24 hours before installation so that they can be laid flat and to prevent subsequent unevenness.
Always ensure that floorboards on ground floors are adequately ventilated beneath.
The use of a suitable floor primer is recommended for all absorbent timber surfaces such as plywood, hardboard and chipboard.
Timber treated with wood preservative is not suitable as a sub-floor, even if overlaid - the fumes can affect the adhesive.
Ensure that the final surface is completely dry, smooth and firm; remove any paint, grease, wax, polish, etc. and brush clean to give a completely dust-free surface.
Quarry tiles - provided the tiles are sound and are protected by an underlying damp-proof membrane, skim over the tiles and fill the joints with a latex screeding compound.
Planning to lay vinyl tiles
There is a wide choice of plain or patterned designs available for vinyl tiles.
The choice of colour and/or design is a personal matter, but there are a couple of other variations you can consider, but remember that the flooring will be permanent once laid so it pays to think carefully:
- Just because tiles are generally square does not mean you have to line up the edges parallel with the walls in a square room,
another option is to have the tile edges at 45 degrees to the wall lines. This can give a relatively plain room, a bit of added
character. Don't use any other angle of alignment unless you are really adventurous.
- You can mix colours (or even patterns) by buying different pack of tiles. Mixing colours is fairly straightforward although
don't use too many different colours and choose the colours to match or complement each other (see
our colour wheel).
You can mix colours evenly (every other tile in a row being a different colour) or have a different colour tile every (say) 3rd tile. You can also use different colours as a border or to insert a large pattern.
Patterned tiles can be mixed in a similar manner although it is often best to have either the same basic pattern of different colours or different patterns with similar colours.
Avoid mixing different bold patterns. If you choose to mix patterns or colours, try to repeat the pattern over the whole area - if you try to have a random mixture you will find people try to work out a pattern.
It is best to actually draw out a plan of the room to work out the number of tiles you require, don't rely on straight conversion of room area divided by individual tile area.
It is very unlikely that:- Any two adjacent walls will be at right angles
- Any two opposite walls will be parallel
- The distance between any two opposite walls will be equal to an exact number of floor tiles.
Look at the various sizes of tile, there are a large range available.
Try to keep to a single size unless you want to insert a narrow border or unless you are very adventurous.
When buying packets of tiles, always check that all boxes have the same batch number to ensure that the colour tints are the same on all tiles. Make sure that you purchase sufficient packs to complete the job, allow for a few additional tiles to allow for waste and future repair.
Setting out for vinyl tiles
For this you will need the calculations you used to calculate the number of tiles required on this other page.
- In the previous calculations, you determined the number of tiles required across the width of the room (0.9 + 10 + 0.9) - the
important aspect is the number of full tiles (in this case 10).
- If the number of full tiles is an even number, establish the centre of both end (shortest) walls. Stretch a piece of string at floor level between the wall centres, secure the string at both ends by tying it around a heavy object (such as a brick).
- If the number of full tiles is odd, the line needs to be offset by half a tile width from the centre of the end walls.
- Now using the original calculations for the number of tiles required along the length of the room (0.7 + 12 +0.7), again the
number of full tiles is important (12).
- If the number of full tiles is an even number, establish the centre of both side (longest) walls. Stretch a piece of string at floor level between the wall centres, secure the string at both ends by tying it around a heavy object (such as a brick).
- If the number of full tiles is odd, the line needs to be offset by half a tile width from the centre of the side walls.
- You've now established the starting point for laying the vinyl tiles.
Laying vinyl tiles
Thoroughly sweep or vacuum the sub-floor to remove all dust etc. You are now ready to start laying the tiles.
Always read and follow the guidelines/instructions provided by the tile manufacturers.
Get to know your tiles ! Generally there will be an arrow marked on the reverse, the tiles must be laid with the arrow running in the same direction (although the tiles are usually nominally square, there is often an inaccuracy which will not have an effect if all the tiles are laid with the arrow in the same direction).
Packets of self-adhesive Vinyl tiles should normally be opened and kept in warm conditions for 24 hours before laying.
Decide upon the direction that the arrow should point - it does not matter which direction is chosen providing you remember it and always use it. It is often useful to make a note of the direction in case you are interrupted while laying the floor - marking it on a piece of masking tape applied to the first tile you lay should be an adequate reminder.
Making a note of the direction of the arrow, peel off the backing from the first tile and CAREFULLY place it with a corner at
your starting point. 
Check
that it is correctly positioned along the strings, initially press it down gently, then working from the centre outwards apply
firmer pressure all over - finally rub along each edge. Lay the second tile against a side of the first tile and aligned to one
of the string lines, before firming it down ensure a close fit between the tiles but do not force them together and ensure that
it is square and in line with the tile already laid.
Continue laying additional tiles (note the direction of the arrow before you remove each piece of backing paper).
Do not lay the tiles as a strip one tile wide, 'build' out from the first tile into a quarter of the room until all the full tiles are laid. Then repeat in an adjacent quarter, and then the final two quarters.
Tip: As you kneel on freshly laid tile to continue the installation, place a piece of plywood on top of a cloth between yourself and the tile. This will spread your weight and reduce the possibility of individual tiles being damaged or slipping.
Cutting edge tiles
To
ensure an accurate fit at the walls, loose lay a single full tile exactly over the tile laid nearest the wall (making sure that
the arrow is correctly aligned), then place another tile on top of it and up against the wall. Draw a line across the 'middle'
tile where the top tile overlaps it. If one part will not have the arrow indication after cutting, mark the reverse with the arrow
using a felt tip marker. Cut the tile (using a sharp knife and a steel straightedge) along the line. Before peeling off the backing
paper, check that the cut tile actually fits. Remove the backing paper and fit it into position with the cut edge against the wall.
For corners, use the above technique twice, once on each side of the corner. Cut the tile away from the corner to avoid over cutting into the area to be laid.
To fit around irregular shapes (such as doorways, mouldings or pipes etc.), make a cardboard template to exact size and use this to draw the outline on a tile. Cut the tile to shape, before peeling off the backing paper, check that the tile fits (it should fit snugly and should not need to be forced into place).
When you have finished laying all the tiles, go over the floor once again to check that all tiles are firmly stuck down, pay particular attention to the edges.
After installation of a new vinyl tile floor, clean the surface with a suitable cleaner and then apply 2 coats of a suitable emulsion protective finish (check the manufacturers instructions).
Do not wet the floor for 5 to 7 days.
After care of vinyl tiles
Never use excessive amounts of water when cleaning vinyl tiles.
Sweep the floor regularly to remove surface grit and dust. Wipe over with a damp cloth or mop. When necessary a mild detergent can be added to the water. DO NOT use abrasive cleaners.
Stiletto heels and other sharp objects can damage vinyl floor so try to avoid.
Furniture left in the same position for any length of time will produce depressions in the floor covering, using protective pads under the furniture will reduce the damage.
Floor preparation - Planning - Setting out - Laying the vinyl tiles - After care
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